 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
Does anyone have experience of:
https://www.oysterworldwide.com/project/canada-whistler-blackcomb-ski-instructor-jobs/
From what I can gather, you pay 6k or thereabouts, get 3 weeks tuition and a L1 Canadian Qualification, then are almost guaranteed a job for the rest of the season at Whistler-Blackcomb
Pros
All organised by Oysterworld who are the agents
Pretty much guaranteed job??
Accommodation provided
Cons
The job is looking after small children, not really ski instructing
The days/hours are variable, some weeks working 7 days / week, sometimes one or 2.
The pay isn't great, you might break even over the winter
Cheers in advance, looking at this for our youngest's gap year.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Any capable teenager can organise a working holiday visa and a job with WB that will provide the same without the 6k bill.
Unless this is the only way of getting accomodation.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Does the 6k include the accommodation, or just the space and then you pay for it out of your wage?
If the later, then you have to be questioning why you're paying 6k for a L1 qualification, given you can do one in the UK for around £500/600......
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@sabreboy,
Does the youngster in question want to do a season with plenty of skiing or do they want to obtain a L1?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@sabreboy, KK junior looked at doing similar a few years ago. When he looked into it - not necessarily with Oyster - he found the "work" guarantee was pretty worthless. On FB groups he discovered that a lot of the guarantees were for 1 weeks work after the course, and that you could wait for several weeks/months to get this! To survive the other weeks you would need to get other work.
For balance a family friends son did a course at Tremblant and ended up working for Club Med (IIRC) teaching kids and did this for 2 seasons.
My son went to Canada and found work in a hotel initially, then a restaurant that were conducive to loads of ski time in his first season in Banff. he spent 2nd season in Whistler and worked in a restaurant, but again with loads of ski time.
Lots of due diligence is required so that your youngest is fully informed. My son did that and has pretty much been a seasonaire around the world ever since - well he had to as he spent more time research ski locations and working visas than he did on his A levels 
BTW I think @boabski's daughter is/was based in Whistler and instructs there
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| swskier wrote: |
Does the 6k include the accommodation, or just the space and then you pay for it out of your wage?
If the later, then you have to be questioning why you're paying 6k for a L1 qualification, given you can do one in the UK for around £500/600...... |
According to the Oyster website, accommodation is only included for the first 3 weeks (when the guy's taking the L1 course) and after that they have to pay $15-$20 a night for a shared room in Staff accommodation. That's around $600 a month. From my time in Whistler, I remember that Staff accommodation was only available to Staff, so if he doesn't pass the L1 course, or doesn't get offered a job, then he's out on the streets trying to find somewhere to stay, which in Whistler is very difficult and expensive.
If I'm reading the website correctly he's already too late for 2027 according to the timeline under the "selection process" tab.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
Any capable teenager can organise a working holiday visa and a job with WB that will provide the same without the 6k bill.
Unless this is the only way of getting accomodation. |
The L1 (I assume) teenagers working on the kiddy slope at WB didn't look to be living the dream when I was there. They spending most of their time either picking kids up or dealing with tantrums and It wasn't made any better as being at the bottom of the mountain it was raining all dsy. The only benefit I could see was their ability to skate up the slope must improve quite a bit.
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| quinton wrote: |
| swskier wrote: |
Does the 6k include the accommodation, or just the space and then you pay for it out of your wage?
If the later, then you have to be questioning why you're paying 6k for a L1 qualification, given you can do one in the UK for around £500/600...... |
According to the Oyster website, accommodation is only included for the first 3 weeks (when the guy's taking the L1 course) and after that they have to pay $15-$20 a night for a shared room in Staff accommodation. That's around $600 a month. From my time in Whistler, I remember that Staff accommodation was only available to Staff, so if he doesn't pass the L1 course, or doesn't get offered a job, then he's out on the streets trying to find somewhere to stay, which in Whistler is very difficult and expensive.
If I'm reading the website correctly he's already too late for 2027 according to the timeline under the "selection process" tab. |
As I suspected. Sounds like it's a hugely expensive way to get a L1 then.....
Much cheaper alternatives:
https://basi.org.uk/courses/partners
https://iasisnowsports.ie/education/course-calendar/
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Even those working for whistler ski school are not guaranteed work. Sure peak weeks they will need you, but as a newbie with just level 1 you will likely be at the bottom of the pecking order.
Why pay 6k for a course, you can just go to Canada for a season (although not whistler as accomodation is unaffordable) not work and come back with change from 6k.
The courses are just selling a dream to gap year kids with rich parents. Most of whom don't realise just how much they are going to hate being an instructor (the reality of the job - picking up crying kids, is so far from their expectations. A lot of money to spend on a qualification that will probably at most be used for 1 season before they realise there are much better jobs in terms of pay and ski hours - most of which you don't need a 6k qualification for 
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@sabreboy, "The pay isn't great, you might break even over the winter"
A newbie L1 instructor has no chance of breaking even on this deal. The Oyster deal costs £6,295 and only includes accommodation for 3 weeks. After that, accommodation is $15-$20 a night, so for 21 weeks that's going to be around $2,800. The flights are not included, but Oyster will book them for £975 return (but maybe more if the fuel prices continue to rise). Then there's the cost of the WH Visa ($340) and police checks (£55). Converting the whole lot to Canadian dollars comes out to a total of $16,636.
If he works 5 or 6 days a week, the pay according to Oyster might be $400 a week, so over 21 weeks that's $8,400 - or only about half of the costs, which don't include any food or drink - but if he's under 19 he won't be drinking alcohol in BC anyway. Food in Whistler is not cheap, even in the supermarkets. The big assumption is that he'd be working every week, which is far from given as the new L1's are at the bottom of the list when work is being scheduled and there will almost certainly be weeks when there is no work, mainly because there are few kids to teach as most are at home and not on vacation during term time. Even though tips tend to be good in Canada, if he's not working he won't get any tips.
"Why pay 6k for a course, you can just go to Canada for a season (although not whistler as accomodation is unaffordable) not work and come back with change from 6k."
Indeed. It is possible to go for a season as a tourist without needing a WH Visa (which you only get once) if you're not working and to take the L1 and probably the L2 course while you're there. That sets you up for a working season another time with a better qualification, contacts in the resort and no need to spend £6k for a course that could be done for around six hundred dollars per level.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Apart from what sort of deal the gap year kids on these courses get, why would anyone pay a lot of money to hire a L1 ski instructor?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Apart from what sort of deal the gap year kids on these courses get, why would anyone pay a lot of money to hire a L1 ski instructor?
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| Origen wrote: |
| Apart from what sort of deal the gap year kids on these courses get, why would anyone pay a lot of money to hire a L1 ski instructor? |
How many people are asking about what level their instructor is? I wouldn't even think to recommend friends to enquire about such a thing, just assuming they will get a "qualified instructor" who is suitable for the job. Also its not like the ski schools are putting L1s in the more advanced classes, often they are given the little kids which is more babysitting than instructing.
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You know it makes sense.
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| adithorp wrote: |
The L1 (I assume) teenagers working on the kiddy slope at WB didn't look to be living the dream when I was there. They spending most of their time either picking kids up or dealing with tantrums and It wasn't made any better as being at the bottom of the mountain it was raining all dsy. The only benefit I could see was their ability to skate up the slope must improve quite a bit. |
Yup WB is notorious for taking never ever Aussie kids and turning them into "instructors" in less than a week to man the childcare slopes.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| boarder2020 wrote: |
| Why pay 6k for a course, you can just go to Canada for a season (although not whistler as accomodation is unaffordable) not work and come back with change from 6k. |
There is this, but IMO, part of the gap year experience is to learn to live and by that I mean work and pay for your lifestyle. It allows you to meet a diverse range of characters, interact with them, both within places of work, customers and fellow gappers.
KK junior started as a potwasher, showed initiative and started to help the chefs prep meals, moved to be a line chef (cook) in a different restaurant, traveled through the summer with friends he'd met, went to Whistler and found other job as a line chef in a restaurant and within a couple of months was managing the kitchen as he was able to get on with people, worked hard and showed initiative and the boss trusted him.
Since then to fund his life as a ski bum he has worked in a warehouse packing toys, bars, sports shops in NZ & Canada. He skis pretty much when he wants.
However, he hasn't paid £6k to become a nursery maid.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I think the problem with the "package holiday" gap year thing is that the kid doesn't really get most of the things described here as benefits of the experience. I mean: you're *not* looking after yourself. You might work out how to do that, or you might not. It's not the same as people working it out themselves. That's one time having rich parents is a negative.
I would say that the young people I've seen looking after small children in Big White did seem to be having a reasonable time. Well it did look more fun than working on a production line, which was my part time school job. As I'd expect they were polite and smiley and all that. I kind of assumed that they'd been carefully selected for having that attitude. The issue to me would be more... what type of work can you earn most at per hour? But if your parents are rich, then their money is the easiest money. I'd still not want to look after kids and pay for the priviledge (see economics above).
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| ... started as a potwasher, showed initiative and started to help the chefs prep meals, moved to be a line chef (cook) in a different restaurant, traveled through the summer with friends he'd met, went to Whistler and found other job as a line chef in a restaurant and within a couple of months was managing the kitchen as he was able to get on with people, worked hard and showed initiative and the boss trusted him. |
I ride with people with that type of background at Whistler now and then. They're excellent snowboarders, hence they work in catering.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Many people think being a ski instructor will be a full-time job during a season. But it clearly can't be for everyone. Resorts are only full for say 6-8 weeks, depending on school holidays, and may be as little as say 25% full in other weeks. That doesn't directly correlate with demand for lessons, but it must have some impact, and some instructors will be able to give lessons ONLY in peak weeks.
It's a long time since I had lessons, but IIRC the last instructor was a self-employed electrician, who gave ski lessons on those weeks or days he was called in, but returned to electrical installations for a lot of the season.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Quote: |
There is this, but IMO, part of the gap year experience is to learn to live and by that I mean work and pay for your lifestyle. It allows you to meet a diverse range of characters, interact with them, both within places of work, customers and fellow gappers.
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The gap year courses do everything for you taking away a lot of the learning opportunities. They also surround you with mostly 18-21 year old, middle class white people, hardly maximum diversity. Even extending this to a whole ski resort, again not exactly a diverse world (nearly all white middle aged, middle class people). If your goal is to experience diversity, different cultures, getting a more worldly view etc. a ski resort is not the choice!
I don't really see why you need a gap year course to do any of the above anyway. Most of us managed to learn that stuff perfectly well without getting on a plane.
Gap year is possibly the greatest opportunity many will have to maximise ski time before they get real responsibilities (career, mortgage, kids etc.). Imo any work done during it should be out of necessity, with the real emphasis on getting as much enjoyment as possible.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Nephew just did a typical gap year trip to Oz. Planned to work and save money to go to Bali. He learnt that he could just about keep a roof over his head and eat (sort of), flipping burgers and similar tasks, but saving was well nigh impossible! A useful life lesson for a kid who'd been working in cafés at weekends and in school holidays for some years but for "pocket money" as parents were paying for the roof and the food. Now a wiser boy, studying biochemistry at Exeter.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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He left his passport on a bus, in a shopping bag. Was v costly to replace and my tough parenting son made him pay for it. Another lesson learnt!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks all. Looks like yes you could organise your own ski season for less, but this option does guarantee a job, accommodation and a group of young people in a similar place to yourself. We shall see how the year progresses.
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FAQ
